SXSW to Launch International Doc Screenings

AUSTIN, February 22: The
15th edition of the South By Southwest (SXSW) 200 Film Festival will see the
launch of “Global Doc Days,” an event dedicated to highlighting the world of
international documentary producers.

The four-day event kicks
off on March 8, and will present screenings of innovative and prize-winning
documentaries from eight countries: Australia, Canada, China, France, Ireland,
Norway, Singapore and the U.K. Programming will range from feature-length films
to six-minute “hybrid” documentaries that blend interactive online elements and
television broadcast.

In honor of the Beijing
Olympics, organizers have scheduled a number of documentaries by Chinese and
Singaporean producers. These include China’s Grip on Africa, examining Chinese influence over African
resources; Brat Camp China,
exploring how the country is grappling with a new generation of delinquents;
and Ancient Chinese Sports,
explaining how many of today’s Olympic disciplines originated in The Middle
Kingdom.

Among the other highlights
slated for screening at the festival are a handful of crime-themed
documentaries: The Old Thieves: The Legends of Artegio from Mexico; My Daughter the Terrorist from Norway; Steal This Film II from the U.K.; and Late Fragment, a Canadian production that explores the stories
of three strangers through a multi-plot, non-linear and interactive narrative.

The event has been
organized in conjunction with a variety of international film agencies,
institutes, broadcasters and producers. Representatives from these groups, and
the eight countries comprising this year’s event, will also take part in a
special conference session on co-production hosted by the General Consulate of
France and taking place in the Austin Convention Center in Texas.

—By Ned Berke